Today, about 6 miles off the South Carolina coast, a pilot flying a U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter jet fired a missile to shoot down what appears to have been a Chinese spy balloon that has flown above the U.S. for the last four days. Such intelligence balloons are not unusual—there were at least three during the Trump administration and one before in the Biden administration, but they were not visible to the public—and U.S. defense officials are accustomed to dealing with them. They “took immediate steps to protect against the balloon’s collection of sensitive information, mitigating its intelligence value.”
We are staying in an RV resort outside N. Myrtle Beach, and witnessed the balloon as it slowly passed overhead, with at least 2 jets doing racetrack passes around it from time to time. We then saw the shoot-down happen in front of our eyes as we had lunch outdoors, and I was able to video it. It was thrilling to watch.
I saw several shiny pieces of instruments (apparently) falling from the sky, reflecting the sun as they fell, along with the balloon fabric -- this despite the fact it happened 60,000 feet up and several miles down range from us. I totally get the decision to delay the destruction until it was safely over the ocean.
It was very cool to be a witness to history today.
I live in Montana under the path of the 🎈. Rs are so upset. Our military and intelligence communities have long prepared for this. Actually it is an intelligence boon for us. It hovered over our ICBM site here in MT but our military knows how to protect against such intrusions. Our possession of it is a black eye for China. I am guessing the F-22 pilot had fun. Now let's move on children (Rs).
If only the Republicans could just be happy the balloon was brought down safely and the information attainable. This constant school yard brawl is so tiring :/
This reminds me of a film in the 60's "Around the World in 80 Days" there is a famous line in the movie when I believe it is travelling over India of a man sighting the balloon and yelling "It is Ballooooon!!!"
That became one of our childhood jokes when we saw something out of place "It is balloooon!!!". Point her being yes its serious but no its not. Biden took measured steps. Who gives a flying f....what MTG says or anybody in the GOP. Trump as noted had three such incidents and Trump did nothing to protect us from Russia. The GOP has no agenda but to criticize this Administration. Would not pay any attention to it. Let them bark like dogs and lets respond like the citizens and critical thinker which we are!
Just had dinner with a dear friend whose very well educated, a really great guy, an efficient coworker everyone wanted on their team, but who had bought into the MAGA conspiracy culture. He doubts the balloon was really Chinese, asserting that it was launched by Biden's administration so it could manufacture a crisis. Our country has at least two realities being presented to the public, and intelligence alone is not an inoculation against bull spit.
I have said this before but am reiterating it now.There are no good Rs. After all that has happened and these people stand behind their traitorous oral dysentery I cannot abide by any of them.Anyone with an ounce of integrity would have resigned from this hateful, lying “party”(cult) or would have retired or have gone Independent.
This comment is not about the balloon, it's about a windbag. The House Republicans' most prominent female clown recently complained that her job is too hard and her salary is too low. Coincidentally, I've been thinking what a terrible waste of taxpayer money it is to pay insurrectionists like her $174,000 a year when all she's good for is trolling, spreading lies, making stupid racist comments and promoting hate.
While catching up on my emails, I am watching “DARK MONEY” a 2018 documentary on the impact from Citizens United and is chilling. Please watch it. This would have been remedied by the Freedom to Vote: john R Lewis Act but these villains have been manipulating the political processes and denying our rights to vote and setting up very real barriers to voting. YOU will be horrified... please watch and then help us to fight back and reinstate our values: the right to vote for all Americans
Thank you Heather for the synopsis. I think at this point, we can all say that no matter what Biden chose to do, the Republicans would criticize him. Since they have nothing constructive to do with their time, it seems, putting an untruthful spin on everything is their only form of mental exercise. I qualify my own statement by adding that is if they have any mental abilities to exercise!
As a former Foreign Service Officer (and history professor) I find the Chinese intelligence balloon and its aftermath puzzling.
On the surface, Chinese satellites and hi-tech surveillance should provide ample military intelligence without relying on several free-floating ‘intelligence balloons.’ I don’t know why they launched these balloons, especially just before a scheduled high-level meeting in Beijing with the American Secretary of State.
Why did President Biden, after a few days of equivocation, seize on this incident to ‘postpone’ high-level talks?
My hunch is that this is part of high-stakes diplomatic poker game between China and the United States. In recent years China has been highly aggressive in its nationalist ‘imperialism’ in Asia, especially in the South China Sea. It also has sought to weaken America’s role there and elsewhere, with Taiwan being a frightening possible trigger point.
In a battle between giants, image is often as important as a hard-facts- scorecard. President Biden has carefully orchestrated an increasing American response to China’s political, military, and economic outreach. Most recently our SecDef was in the Philippines to expand our military presence there. Domestically, the Republicans have jumped on the ‘stand up to China’ bandwagon.
So why did Biden choose a minor ‘intelligence balloon’ incident to postpone a long-planned meeting of principles in Beijing? Perhaps it was a public message that
1) we are not intimated by President Xi’s China;
2) we are dealing from strength rather than weakness; and
3) we are showing our Asian allies that we have balls!
I’m liking snarky Heather, maybe we can make it a Saturday tradition???
Thanks as always!
MTG is representing all the MAGAs in their firm refusal to be a part of reality.
We are staying in an RV resort outside N. Myrtle Beach, and witnessed the balloon as it slowly passed overhead, with at least 2 jets doing racetrack passes around it from time to time. We then saw the shoot-down happen in front of our eyes as we had lunch outdoors, and I was able to video it. It was thrilling to watch.
I saw several shiny pieces of instruments (apparently) falling from the sky, reflecting the sun as they fell, along with the balloon fabric -- this despite the fact it happened 60,000 feet up and several miles down range from us. I totally get the decision to delay the destruction until it was safely over the ocean.
It was very cool to be a witness to history today.
I live in Montana under the path of the 🎈. Rs are so upset. Our military and intelligence communities have long prepared for this. Actually it is an intelligence boon for us. It hovered over our ICBM site here in MT but our military knows how to protect against such intrusions. Our possession of it is a black eye for China. I am guessing the F-22 pilot had fun. Now let's move on children (Rs).
Thank you for your words on the Chinese balloon!
Do Republicans ever check their facts before they open their mouths? So tiresome.
🐼❤️
If only the Republicans could just be happy the balloon was brought down safely and the information attainable. This constant school yard brawl is so tiring :/
Well, why didn’t MTG ask to deploy the space lasers to take care of this spy balloon?
This reminds me of a film in the 60's "Around the World in 80 Days" there is a famous line in the movie when I believe it is travelling over India of a man sighting the balloon and yelling "It is Ballooooon!!!"
That became one of our childhood jokes when we saw something out of place "It is balloooon!!!". Point her being yes its serious but no its not. Biden took measured steps. Who gives a flying f....what MTG says or anybody in the GOP. Trump as noted had three such incidents and Trump did nothing to protect us from Russia. The GOP has no agenda but to criticize this Administration. Would not pay any attention to it. Let them bark like dogs and lets respond like the citizens and critical thinker which we are!
Just had dinner with a dear friend whose very well educated, a really great guy, an efficient coworker everyone wanted on their team, but who had bought into the MAGA conspiracy culture. He doubts the balloon was really Chinese, asserting that it was launched by Biden's administration so it could manufacture a crisis. Our country has at least two realities being presented to the public, and intelligence alone is not an inoculation against bull spit.
I have said this before but am reiterating it now.There are no good Rs. After all that has happened and these people stand behind their traitorous oral dysentery I cannot abide by any of them.Anyone with an ounce of integrity would have resigned from this hateful, lying “party”(cult) or would have retired or have gone Independent.
This comment is not about the balloon, it's about a windbag. The House Republicans' most prominent female clown recently complained that her job is too hard and her salary is too low. Coincidentally, I've been thinking what a terrible waste of taxpayer money it is to pay insurrectionists like her $174,000 a year when all she's good for is trolling, spreading lies, making stupid racist comments and promoting hate.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/04/marjorie-taylor-greene-backlash-congressional-salary
Here’s to Saturday night snark! Well done! 🥂
While catching up on my emails, I am watching “DARK MONEY” a 2018 documentary on the impact from Citizens United and is chilling. Please watch it. This would have been remedied by the Freedom to Vote: john R Lewis Act but these villains have been manipulating the political processes and denying our rights to vote and setting up very real barriers to voting. YOU will be horrified... please watch and then help us to fight back and reinstate our values: the right to vote for all Americans
Thank you Heather for the synopsis. I think at this point, we can all say that no matter what Biden chose to do, the Republicans would criticize him. Since they have nothing constructive to do with their time, it seems, putting an untruthful spin on everything is their only form of mental exercise. I qualify my own statement by adding that is if they have any mental abilities to exercise!
A lot of hot air out of these Republicans. Pun intended. 🤣
US-CHINA BALLOON DIPLOMACY
As a former Foreign Service Officer (and history professor) I find the Chinese intelligence balloon and its aftermath puzzling.
On the surface, Chinese satellites and hi-tech surveillance should provide ample military intelligence without relying on several free-floating ‘intelligence balloons.’ I don’t know why they launched these balloons, especially just before a scheduled high-level meeting in Beijing with the American Secretary of State.
Why did President Biden, after a few days of equivocation, seize on this incident to ‘postpone’ high-level talks?
My hunch is that this is part of high-stakes diplomatic poker game between China and the United States. In recent years China has been highly aggressive in its nationalist ‘imperialism’ in Asia, especially in the South China Sea. It also has sought to weaken America’s role there and elsewhere, with Taiwan being a frightening possible trigger point.
In a battle between giants, image is often as important as a hard-facts- scorecard. President Biden has carefully orchestrated an increasing American response to China’s political, military, and economic outreach. Most recently our SecDef was in the Philippines to expand our military presence there. Domestically, the Republicans have jumped on the ‘stand up to China’ bandwagon.
So why did Biden choose a minor ‘intelligence balloon’ incident to postpone a long-planned meeting of principles in Beijing? Perhaps it was a public message that
1) we are not intimated by President Xi’s China;
2) we are dealing from strength rather than weakness; and
3) we are showing our Asian allies that we have balls!
Welcome to high stakes diplomacy.